Clothes-line pulley.



No. 653,490. Patented "luly l0, I900. H. W. TEN-.21.

CLOTHES JANE PLULLEY.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED *STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

HENRY W. TEAL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CLOTH ES-LINEI PU LLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,490, dated July 10, 1900. Application filed August 21, 1899. Serial No. 727,930. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. TEAL, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Pulleys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Myinveution relates to clothes-line pulleys; and it consists of the novel construction, com bination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

The object of this invention is .to provide an improved device for supporting and operating an endless clothes-line and arranged to always allow the clothes carried by said line to freely pass around the'arms of said device.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete invention, showing it in operation, with the clothes-line broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the pulley. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cap made use of in carrying out my invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the guide-bars with parts broken away and a portion of the end of the pulleyarm ready to be inserted through the slot in said bar. Fig. 5 is a perspective View, with parts broken away, of one of the pulley-arms.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the pulley, showing its construction.

In the construction of the device as shown I provide a plate 1, having formed integral therewith ears 2, each provided with an aperture 3, through whichis passed a bolt or like device 4. Between the ears 2 and around the bolt 4 is hingedly held a curved arm 5, which projects downwardly, carrying the pulley mechanism 6, which consists of a circularly-bent guide-frame 7 ,having a portion of itself cut away and its ends tapering upwardly,'gradually terminating with the top surface of said guide-frame. This circular frame is mounted on ribs 8, formed integral with the downwardly-projecting sleeve 9, by which the same is held by means of a setscrew 10 to a pin 11, formed integral with the reel-supporting arm 5. Immediately above the ribs Sand pivotally connected to the pin 11 is a skeleton frame 12, consisting of four guide-bars having. their ends projecting upwardly at right angles, in which are formed longitudinal slots 13. At the base of the right angular projection and communicating with the slot 13 is a horizontal slot 14:, which allows the passing of lugs 15, formed upon the end of the pulley-arm 16 "which is held in the slot 13, the purpose of which being fully hereinafter described. Immediately above the skeleton frame 12 and located around said pin 11 I place a cap 17, having its vertical walls provided with slots 18, which are to pass over the pulley-arms and hold the same therein. This cap is held in position by an aperture 19, formed in its top, which is fitted over the integral pin 11, and held in position by its top coming in contact with the bottom end 20 of the arm 5. All of the arms 16 have on their free ends vertically-bent arms 21, providing contact-faces segmental in form. The arms 16 are, as before stated, provided with lugs 15, which are held within the cap 17 by means of the slotted vertical walls of said cap engaging said arms, bringing the lugs 15 in contact with the inner surface of said slotted walls. (See Fig. 6.)

The pulley 6, carried by the arm 5, is secured to the plate 1, which is secured in any desirable location upon a post or side of the house by means of screws or bolts passed through the apertures 22 formed in said plate 1, and by said arm is allowed to assume any position horizontally. The segmental faces of the pulley-arms are for the purpose of supporting the clothes-line 23 (see Fig. 1) and are so arranged as to always be in operative relation with said line while in its rotation.

The clothes-line is preferably endless and is supported on the opposite end by a common pulley. D

In placing the parts of my invention together before it is in readiness for operation I place upon the pin 11, secured to the arm 5, the cap 17. through the slots 13 of the guide-bars by passing the lugs 15 through the horizontal slot 14 and connecting them to said cap 17 in the manner previously described. Then the circularly-bent guide-plateis placed upon the pin 11, as shown in Fig. 6, and securely held thereto by a set-screw 10. After this is done the plate 1 is placed in its position upon the arm 5, and the entire device is securedin any position to a post or wall of a building.

The operation is as follows: After the line I then insert the pulley-arms has been placed in position over the segmental surface of the arms 16 the operator or person hanging out the clothes places the clothes upon any desired point of the line, and after a garment has been secured to the line the operator pulls thereon, carrying the garment either to the right or left, as the case may be, until free space enough is brought before the operator to allow the hanging of another garment. This operation is repeated until all the clothes are supported on the line, and when the first garment reaches a point where it will come in contact with the segmental faces of the arms 16 it will be carried around said pulley and brought as far back as desired. In this case it is not necessary for the operator while hanging out the clothes to walk the entire length of the line.

It will be observed by referring to Figs. 2 and 6 that the pulley-arms when brought to the rear of the circularly-bent guide-plate are raised at an angle. This is for the purpose of raising that end of the rope higher than the portion of the rope which comes in communication with the front arms, for the reason that said segmental faces of the front arms may at all times engage the rope, which has a tendency to slacken or sag at that portion. As the pulley is being revolved the guide-bars carrying the arms 16 pass within the circularly-bent guide-frame, while the bottom surface of the pulley-arms comes in contact with the inclined front surface of the circularly-bent guide-frame, which will cause said arms to be automatically raised to a position as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. As the arms are being raised by the inclined frame they will also carry with them the line 23 in order that the next advancing arm can engage said line for operating the same.

I claim 1. The combination of a plurality of pivoted arms, a frame, means for supporting the inner ends of said arms, means for automatically tilting said arms vertically during their rotation, and an arm by which said frame is supported, substantially as specified.

2. A clothes-line pulley, comprising the combination of a plurality of arms radiating from the center, ineans for supporting said arms, a circularly-bent guide-frame arranged for tilting said arms while passing thereover, means for guiding said arms, and an arm for supporting said mechanism, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a plurality of arms radiating from the center, a frame supporting said arms, a cap arranged over the end of each of said arms, a circular guide-frame arranged for tilting said arms, and an arm by which the same is suspended from a stationary object, substantially as specified.

4E. The combination of an arm provided with a pin, a circular guide-frame fixed upon said pin, a skeleton frame mounted upon said pin and designed to rotate upon said guideframe, arms having segments at their outer ends and lugged ends and connected to the said skeleton frame, and a cap located on said pin and mounted over the lugged ends of said arms, said guide-frame being provided with an inclined edge for the purpose of gradually tilting said arms while rotating, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY W. TEAL.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. LONGAN, ALFRED A. EICKS. 

